Coaches may get fired, players may retire (yet sometimes they change their minds later), but one thing is a constant in the unpredictable world of pro football: John Madden will always be back for the fall. And, if you already are suffering from the post-season blues, Madden 09 is a sweet cure to the gridiron deficiency.

Hits: New year, new features, that's the modus operandi for the Madden franchise. Some years the improvements are minimal, simply mirroring what has been done in its sister games NCAA Football and such, but sometimes the changes are drastic. And this year, it's the latter.

The first things you'll encounter are new training and setups called Madden IQ and Test, where the game will figure out if you're an all-star or a rookie, based on a quick practice session. I went through my drills, and I was found to be a good passer and runner, but a sloppy defensive player. And so, the console adjusted for my abilities. You may then improve, and the opponents' difficulty will in turn increase.

The other thing that finally got an overdue update is the graphics in the game. They have been steadily improving, but now they have truly been taken to the next level -- from the way the players look to the fields around them. The replays are better, and the overall game has received a much-needed face-lift.

Finally, for the fanatics in the crowd, mini-games and online features have been added. I'm not one for franchise play, but the new rivalry modes and online leagues (plus a new front-office mode for the business-savvy in you) should provide plenty of sleepless strategizing.

Misses: As usual, my quibble with this otherwise-great franchise is the sheer amount of features, buttons and options available at the line of scrimmage. Now, each player has a so-called "weapon" or ability -- speed, strength, grace under pressure, you name it -- and each one of them has an icon, cluttering the screen. Likewise, the button arrangement is ever-changing and ever-expanding, and so it takes a bit of practice to get used to when you're upgrading.

Cardinals or Steelers? This is an easy one. Playing with the Cardinals, the quarterback could do nothing but pass to the opposing team in a way that looked almost intentional. The rushing game wasn't that great, either, and I only managed one touchdown -- while the Steelers racked up 17 points. Playing with Pittsburgh, however, showed what kind of strong defense they have: The Steelers never allowed a touchdown, yet they allowed two long field goals from the Cardinals' special teams. I still lost 6-0, though. So, my prediction: Steelers will come out strong and prevail.

Recommendation: There are enough improvements in this version of Madden to deserve an upgrade. For starters, I can finally fight someone my own size thanks to the custom-difficulty feature. Plus, the graphics take advantage of every last byte of memory from your console, and the looks (now in HD) are better than ever. It may be more complex than ever, but that's not surprise -- and, if you've followed this franchise as long as I have, you'll find this to be a proven winner.

Grade: A-

Napo Monasterio is page designer for The Birmingham News and doesn't have a dog in the fight. Write to him at nmonasterio@bhamnews.com